Today’s high school and college aged youth are 5 times more likely
to struggle with mental illness than youth of the same age from the 1930s.

That’s what San Diego State University researchers are saying
after evaluating the data from almost 78 000 students who took the Minnesota
Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) from 1938 to 2007.

Some statistics which illustrate how students' mental health
has changed over the 7 decades include:

In 1938,
7% of students scored highly on unrealistic optimism and anxiety
(hypomania). That percentage rose to 31% in 2007.

In
1938, 1% of students met the criteria for depression, a percentage which
rose to 6% on 2007

In
1938, 5% of students scored highly on psychopathic deviation (problems
with authority and delusions about rules), a percentage which rose to 24%
in 2007.

The study’s lead author, Professor Jean Twenge, said "It's
another piece of the puzzle - that yes, this does seem to be a problem, that
there are more young people who report anxiety and depression. The next
question is: what do we do about it?"

Join Thousands of Readers

Coping cards filled with coping statements can help you trade negative self talk with healthier, more positive replacements. Writing coping cards is an easy, no-cost intervention that might just help you. Read on to learn how to get started.Read Article